


After the Darkness

by LuvBusters



Category: Real Ghostbusters
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, Humor, Janine returns to her original look, Mild Language, PTSD references, Slight romance mostly fluff, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 03:58:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuvBusters/pseuds/LuvBusters
Summary: This story takes place immediately following the end of the episode “Janine, You’ve Changed.” It seems to me that Janine would’ve been emotionally distraught so this is how I think it should’ve ended. A bit more in depth and taking Egon and Janine’s budding relationship to the next phase.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic but I welcome constructive criticism. I do not own any of the RGB characters, please don’t sue me.

As Ecto-1 parked in the Firehouse garage, the four Ghostbusters exited. Egon Spengler and Ray Stantz immediately headed towards Egon’s office/lab. 

“I promised Janine I would start researching possible after effects as soon as we got back,” Egon stated.

“We’ll see what we can find, Egon,” Ray said. “

As the hours passed, Egon and Ray didn’t have much success in finding any record of any other people who had previous encounters with the Lotsabucks. Winston had decided to order pizza in hopes that a hot meal would lure the two out of the lab. His plan worked ... sort of. 

“Egon, the whole idea was to leave the books in the lab, not bring them in the kitchen with you,” Winston said.

“I’m gonna make sure you give a detailed book report, young man,” teased Peter. 

“There has to be some sort of record somewhere,” complained Egon. “I’m sure Janine wasn’t the first person to have fallen prey to this thing!”

“Not a lot is known about the Lotsabucks,” stated Ray. “I remember some parts of the legend from books I’ve read before, but I guess it’s kept a low profile.”

“Is there anything we can do?” asked Winston. 

“Grab a book,” said Egon.

Two hours and two and a half pizzas later (not counting the two Slimer inhaled), the four Ghostbusters were just about ready to call a break when Peter yelled,

“Hey! I think I’ve got something!”

“Let me see that,” cried Ray. He read the passage Peter had found; slowly his eyes widened and a slight look of terror came across his face. 

“What is it?!” Begged Egon.

“This is bad,” Ray started. 

“Ok, how big is this Twinkie?” asked Winston.

Ray explained: “There have been seven other cases reported over the last thirty years. It’s probably more than that but these are the only ones reported. All seven successfully reversed the transformation of the Lotsabucks, but none lived longer than three days afterwards.”

Everyone’s faces paled, especially Egon’s. 

“What happened?” asked Winston.

Ray went on: “Four of the víctims suffered massive heart attacks and died, probably from the extreme trauma their bodies endured.”

“And the other three?” asked Peter warily.

“Suffered extreme depression which led to a nervous breakdown, then resulting in suicide.”

“In three days?!” exclaimed Winston.

“That’s what it says,” Ray said.

“I have to call Janine, make sure she’s ok,” said Egon. 

“She’s already been through so much. Hopefully she’s strong enough to get through this,” Ray said but the look on his face suggested he wasn’t sure he believed that.

Egon went to the kitchen and dialed Janine’s number from the phone there. “Please pick up,” he thought.

“H-hello?” Janine said sleepily. 

“Janine! It’s Egon! I..I wanted to check on you, make sure you were resting ok?”

“Yeah, I was ... are you ok? You sound funny.”

“I’m fine...we were researching possible after effects.”

“Yeah, what’d you find?”

“Er..um..not a lot. You may experience some moodiness, or mixed emotions. Possibly hormonal imbalances.”

“Oh, so pretty much PMS? Great, I’m used to that,” Janine joked with a slight giggle.

“Ahem, yes...well,” Egon was at a loss for words, something Janine thought was one of his more adorable features.

“Well, just call me if you feel the need to talk, ok? It doesn’t matter what time, day or night,” Egon said.

“Ok,” Janine agreed.

“Promise,” Egon urged.

“I promise,” Janine replied.

“Well, get some rest. I’ll check back with you later.” Egon said.

“I will. Egon?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I...I love you too,” Egon said with a slight blush.

Janine hung up the phone, Egon did too.

“Why didn’t you tell her everything?” Asked Ray.

“I didn’t want to scare her,” Egon explained. “At this point, the less she knows, the better.”

********** The next morning, 5:30 am *****  
The Ghostbusters were sleeping except Egon. He had awoke suddenly, for no apparent reason and was unable to go back to sleep. As the others slept (and snored in Peter’s case), he quietly went downstairs to the kitchen, hoping some hot cocoa would help him get back to sleep. 

He suddenly had a strange urge, more of a gut feeling, to check on Janine. As he picked up the receiver, he heard a voice on the other end.

“Egon?!!” 

“Janine! I was just getting ready to call you! Are you ok?”

“I..I..don’t know.” Janine was speaking in panting breaths, like she couldn’t breathe.

“What’s happening?” Egon begged.

“I...don’t feel like I’m in control...of my emotions. I...I feel like...I might be headed...for a nervous breakdown.” At that, Egon heard Janine break into a deep sob, like her heart was breaking.

Egon swallowed hard. He immediately recalled what Ray had read the day before. Janine certainly sounded like she had moved past the depressed phase; he didn’t want to think about the next phase.

“Janine, listen to me. I’m coming over there right now. Just sit tight and don’t do anything or go anywhere, ok?” Egon said, desperately hoping Janine was listening.

“Ok, please hurry. I can’t handle this.”

Egon repeated his instructions and ran back upstairs to the bunk room. Peter, Ray and Winston were waking up from the sound of Egon changing clothes so quickly. 

“What’s up Big Guy?” Peter asked while yawning.

“It’s Janine,” Egon explained. “She called. She’s having the symptoms we read yesterday. Emotional upheaval and she used the words nervous breakdown” 

“We need to hurry then,” Winston said.

“Yeah, we’ll all go,” said Ray.

“She’s probably gonna need a psychologist’s help too,” Peter said. “This ain’t gonna be pretty, Spengs.”

“I know,” Egon said. “But I love her. I can’t lose her now, not after everything she’s been through.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  


Ecto-1 sped down the highway towards Janine’s apartment. Egon was increasingly worried about Janine’s mental and emotional status. While a lot about the Lotsabucks creature wasn’t known, the four men knew they were dealing with a timeframe that was quickly running out.  


“So what do you think we can expect?” asked Winston, trying to keep their minds on task but not overly worried.  


Peter had a stern look on his face. Even though he loved verbally sparring with Janine and basically giving her hell, he loved her like a little sister. He wanted to help her but at the same time not push her too far emotionally. “She’s been under the influence of that damn monster for a while. She had a lot of changes made slowly over a long period of time. It’s my guess that her moods didn’t swing that fast because her body had time to slowly adjust to the changes. But now, everything changed back in a matter of minutes. Now her body is trying to catch up, which is causing her to have crazy weird moods. I haven’t dealt with this myself but I’ve got friends in the psych biz that have told me when you’re dealing with someone who is trying to work through a traumatic experience, it can get intense. And by intense, I mean she may act or say things that are totally irrational and against how she usually acts. Don’t take anything she says completely seriously; chances are she doesn’t mean it."

He looked at Egon and added, “Especially you, Big Guy. She might lash out at you but don’t let it get you down.”  


Egon nodded. He still felt guilty about the whole thing; he blamed himself for inadvertently pushing Janine towards the Lotsabucks for “help” with her self esteem issues. If he had only been honest with himself and with her from the beginning, none of this would have happened. But that was a discussion he’d have to have later with Peter.  


Finally, Ecto-1 pulled up at Janine’s apartment building. They raced up the stairs and came to her door. Egon knocked loudly, hoping they weren’t too late. Janine came to the door and opened it. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that still fit a little too loosely; she had apparently lost weight during her ordeal with the Lotsabucks. She had obviously been crying. Her eyes were red and swollen, tear tracks going down her cheeks wiping away the makeup she had put on. Her face looked worn and tired, dark circles under her eyes suggesting she hadn’t been able to get much sleep. She stood back so the guys could enter.  


“Jeez Big J, you’ve looked better!” joked Peter, trying to lighten the mood.  


“Yeah, thanks,” Janine replied, not her usual self where Peter is concerned.  


Egon quickly moved towards her and hugged her close. “It’s going to be alright,” he said, trying to console her.  


She quickly pulled away, almost as if she didn’t want to be so close. “Fine, let’s just get this shrink session over with, shall we?!”  


“Easy Janine, you called us, remember?” Peter said, carefully trying to assess her frame of mind.  


“Yeah, I did. Maybe I shouldn’t have!” Janine replied angrily.  


Peter walked Janine to the living room and sat down facing her on the couch. Egon stood slightly behind Janine on the side of the couch. Winston and Ray sat down at the kitchen table, trying to give Peter some space.  


“Ok,” Peter began. “What’s the main issue bothering you? How are you feeling exactly?”  


Janine was at a loss for words. There were so many emotions rolling around at once, she didn’t know where to begin. “Angry at myself for allowing this to happen mostly. How can one person be so freaking stupid?!”  


Peter asked, “What originally caused your self esteem problems? I doubt this was something recent.”  


Janine took a deep breath. “I was always teased growing up for one reason or another. But high school was the worst. Senior Prom particularly. I had been asked to go with a guy who I had a crush on all year. Everything seemed to be going great but when we got there, he dumped me and spent the rest of the night with the girl he really wanted to be with. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to call your parents to come get you?”  


Egon’s heart broke at that. He couldn’t understand why anyone as beautiful as Janine would have been treated that way.  


Peter urged her to continue. “Go on.”  


“I was actually engaged for a short time right after college. Bet you guys didn’t know that?”  


They all shared a surprised look. Janine had never really talked about her personal life, especially growing up.  


Janine continued. “Well, I got off work early and thought I’d surprise him at his place. But I was the one who got the surprise. I walked in on him in bed with another girl! All I remember was that I threw the ring back at him so hard, it left a mark on his face!”  


Peter whinced. He remembers all too well how hard the secretary can throw things. He’s frequently catching a shoe or a desk item at the back of his head after teasing her.  


Janine cried, “Why the hell would someone get engaged if all they’re going to do is cheat? I never understood it. But I guess it’s to be expected; I mean, who would want to marry me?”  


Egon moved towards Janine; he wanted so badly to hold her and to let her know that she is loved deeply. However, Peter caught his eye and gave Egon a look that said “Hold still, not yet.” Egon reluctantly stepped back.  


Peter scooted closer to Janine, taking her hands in his. “Janine, I can’t say why that jerk did that. Maybe he was having second thoughts and wanted to have one last fling before taking the big step? But what he did was very wrong. Don’t let what that guy did affect how you think and feel about other guys. Just because one guy was an asshole doesn’t mean they all are.”  


She smiled slightly. She went on to say, “I know. It’s taken me a long time to let go of that stuff and sometimes it still comes back on me. I just wanted for once in my life to know what it was like to enter a room and everyone’s eyes go straight to me, like those drop dead gorgeous supermodels. I thought that’s what was going to happen. Instead I almost ended up hurting the people who are most important to me. I can’t even begin to say I’m sorry enough for all of this.”  


Peter scooted back away from Janine and motioned for Egon to come over. Peter stood up and motioned for Ray and Winston to come with him. “I think we need to run to that bakery you get those great donuts from Janine. It’ll be breakfast time soon and we’re gonna be starving! I’m not sure my stomach is strong enough for your cooking this early!” Peter joked.  


“Yeah, we’ll be back in a few,” Winston replied.  


Ray hadn’t quite caught up with what they were getting at but went along with it anyway. “Ok, yeah. Egon will keep you company,” Ray said.  


As they left the apartment, Peter looked back at Egon and gave him a wink and a thumbs up.  


Egon sat with Janine and held her tight.  


“I hope one day you can forgive me for all of this,” Janine said.  


“I already have,” Egon replied. He gave Janine a tender kiss on the lips. “I love you Janine. You’ve always been the most beautiful woman to me. You’ve always had my attention when you entered a room. You’ve always had that effect on me; I was just too afraid to admit it. But I’m not afraid anymore and I intend on showing you more often how I feel.”  


“I love you too, Egon,” Janine said. She hugged him tighter with a huge smile on her face. She knew she would be ok with the guys’ help. Slowly, all of the bad memories of growing up started to fade away, replaced with new memories of how her life has changed for the better. She has three of the best friends a girl could ever want and the love of a wonderful man who loves her unconditionally. Her life had changed for the better and the future was very bright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this story was so short but it's my first fic. I'll make sure future stories are longer and with more action. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janine wants to make sure the Lotsabucks effects are gone. So they’re off to the Firehouse!

Janine pulled away from Egon. She looked afraid. “I need to make sure that bitch doesn’t have anything left inside of me.”

Egon looked slightly confused. “Janine, your original look has returned. If the creature still had any influence over you, that wouldn’t have happened.”

“I don’t care. If I’m ever gonna get a good night’s sleep again, I’ve gotta make sure, for peace of mind. Please, there’s gotta be a test you and Ray can do?”

Egon thought for a moment, agreeing with Janine. If she needed peace of mind, there was something he could do. “Very well,” Egon agreed. “We’ll go to the Firehouse as soon as the others return.

**************  
Soon after back at the Firehouse, Egon and Ray had Janine hooked up to some electrodes in the lab. 

“This machine will monitor your brain activity while you sleep. If there’s still anything from the Lotsabucks there, the psychokinetic activity will show on the read out,” explained Ray.

“Just don’t talk in your sleep,” Peter joked playfully, giving Janine an evil looking wink.

Janine rolled her eyes (she didn’t flip Peter the finger since the others were there). 

“If you start having nightmares or showing signs of distress, we’ll wake you immediately,” Egon assured her.

“Ok, let’s do this,” Janine said.

Janine eventually fell into a deep sleep. The machine recorded her brain activity. 

“Everything is ok so far,” Ray said.

After twenty minutes, Janine went into REM sleep. She started shaking her head from side to side, frowning. 

“She’s dreaming,” Peter stated. 

Janine’s breathing became labored. Egon was getting agitated, moving forward to wake her up. 

“No! If we interrupt the test now, the results won’t be accurate!” Ray stated.

“I don’t care! I told her we would wake her up!” Egon shouted.

Peter moved forward. “Hang on,” he said. “She’s saying something.”

“Please, don’t make me do it. Don’t make me hurt him,” Janine sleepily begged.

“Don’t hurt who?” Peter asked Janine quietly.

“Egon,” she whispered. “He’s trying to help me.”  
She raised her voice while sleeping: “I’m not going to do it! I LOVE HIM AND YOU’RE NOT GOING TO HURT HIM YOU BITCH!” 

Tears streamed down her face as she woke up. “What happened?” Janine asked. 

“You were reliving the events of what happened on the docks the other night,” Peter explained. “Sounded like you were giving the witch one hell of a fight!” He smiles at Janine.

Ray came over to Janine with the final report of the test. “Well, looks like everything is normal Janine.” He beamed.

“Or at least what constitutes as normal for you, Big J” Peter joked.

“Screw you Dr. V,” Janine said with a grin.

“She’s back!” Peter shouted.

Janine stood up. “Thanks for proving everything is ok. Guess I should go back home?”

Egon could see that Janine was hesitant about returning to her apartment. “Would you mind if I accompanied you?” He asked. “It would..um..give me an opportunity to finish my notes for this case.” He was trying to cover up the fact that Janine was afraid.

“That would be nice,” Janine said smiling.

“Fine, excuse me. I’ll just go pack a few things. I’ll be back shortly.” Egon said.

“Don’t forget your toothbrush!” teased Winston.

“And clean underwear!” Ray joined in.

“And the condoms!” Shouted Peter. 

Peter didn’t quite move fast enough to avoid Janine’s shoe hitting him in the back of the head.

“Yep,” Peter thought, rubbing his head. “Things are definitely back to normal.”


End file.
